Fabric cleansing and drying apparatus



L. A. RUNTON FABRIC CLEANSING AND DRYING APPARATUS Aug. 28, 1951 2 Sheet s-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 21, 1949 Aug. 28, 1951 L. A. RUNTON 2,565,576

FABRIC CLEANSING AND DRYING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 21, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY g- 2- FEEDING CLEANSING FLUID HOT AIR SUPPLYING MEANS ll a4 a A 4 Y F g 86 I a ea 6' 5 Z I i a0 1 j 85 e6 1 z l3 5 E TO AUXILLARY 5 a I k VACUUM PUMP 1 TO mun VACUUM PUMP 2 M 4 I I w 1 1 111 11111111111111111 Patented Aug. 28, 1951 FABRIC CLEANSING AND DRYING APPARATUS Leslie A. Runton, Dracut, Mass., assignor to J. P. Stevens -& Co. Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application January 21, 1949, Serial No. 72,011 4 Claims. (01. 68-20) This invention has for its object to provide an efiicient apparatus for drying, and more particularly both for cleansing and drying, fabrics such as woven textile materials while the fabric is continuously moving. The invention makes use of some of the features of the apparatus disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,242,144, granted May 13, 1941.

The object of the invention is to secure an emcient, continuous and speedy extraction of water, or other liquid, from the fabric and thus the drying of the fabric to the required degree.

The object of the invention is further to provideas a preliminary part of the drying operation the application of a cleansing liquid to the traveling fabric and a substantial withdrawal of this cleansing liquid through the fabric prior to the completion of the drying operation.

The invention has for its further object to provide such an apparatus in which as the operation is completed the cleansing liquid and the liquid contained in the fabric prior to the application of the cleansing liquid are both removed from the fabric and the fabric is left in the required dry condition.

The nature and objects of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

The drawings illustrate a simple and preferred form of apparatus embodying the invention, in which,

Fig. 1 is a view in longitudinal vertical cross section, taken on the line l-l of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a view in transverse cross section on a smaller scale; and,

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse cross section take on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The apparatus comprises a table I having a fiat top and supported on suitable legs 2 and composed of metal, or other suitable material. The flatportion of the table top is of a width equal to the width of the Web of fabric to be processed. The web of fabric 3 is drawn over the table by the usual set of rolls 4 driven by any suitable and usual means.

The table is provided with an opening 5 therethrough and extending transversely thereof.

A dome-shaped cover 6 has its edge entirely surrounding the opening 5 and the construction is such that when the dome cover is in place with the fabric interposed between its edge and the table top an air-tight joint is formed. The tightness of the joint is facilitated by providing in the table top, beneath the edge of the dome cover, an insert 1 of suitable elastic material and preferably sponge rubber. It will be understood that the term air-tight is not here employed in an absolute sense, but in relation to the requirements of the present invention. The forward edge 8 of the dome cover is given a shoelike form to present a standard fiat surface and the same is true of the rearward edge 9, while the side edges II] are comparatively narrow. The weight of the dome cover or the pressure applied thereto to hold it against the table top, the forces of air pressure and vacuum within the dome cover and beneath the opening, and the friction of the traveling fabric are readily balanced to insure that the joint formed by the edge of the dome cover, the table top and the interposed traveling fabric is sufficiently air-tight for efficient operation.

Hot air is supplied to the interior. of the dome cover through a pipe II by any suitable means and preferably at a slight pressure. The opening 5 in the table forms the mouth of a main liquid abstractor and for this purpose a pan-like structure I2 is connected to the bottom edge of the opening and is provided with a branched pipe I3 connected by the pipe M to a suitable vacuum pump.

The temperature and pressure of the hot air supplied to the dome cover and the amount of vacuum connected to the opening in the table top beneath the dome cover should be such, in correlation with the speed of the fabric, as to produce only a slight depression or bellying of the fabric over the opening and so as to maintain the joint at the side edges of the fabric.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for continuously cleaning the traveling fabric by the application of a cleansing liquid thereto and the abstractionof this liquid through the cloth preliminary to the drying operation. Thus as a part of the entire operation oil, grease, or other dirt or foreign matter in the fabric present in the cloth as the result of previous treatment, or for any other reason. is efficiently removed. The cleansing liquid may be of any desired character as required by the particular conditions, including water, solvents or other detergents. This cleansing liquid is fed on to the advancing fabric beneath the dome cover in front of the opening in the table top and is removed by an auxiliary liquid abstractor having a narrow inlet slot engaging the lower face of the fabric beneath the cover and before it reaches the front edge of the opening.

In the preferred construction illustrated the An auxiliary liquid abstractor in the form of a tube I9 connected by a pipe 20 to an auxiliary vacuum pump is mounted at the frontiedge. .Qf

the opening 5 and is provided with a narrow slot 2| over which the fabric travels. The action of the main and auxiliary liquid abstractors and any pressure in the dome cover act to hold the cloth closely against the slot 2| and a sufficient degree of vacuum is maintained in the auxiliary liquid abstractor so thatthe cleansing liquid is withdrawn through the fabric completely and efficiently. If a solventcleansing, liquid is employed anyportion vaporized by hotair in the dome. cover is also removed. by the mainliquidabstractor and may bepassed therefromto a suitable condenser. So also both the .main and auxiliary liquid .abstractors are preferably provided with suitable liquid separators.

Similar means to that provided in the able-- said Patent No. 2,242,144 are providedfor raising the dome cover to positionthe fabric at the start of the operation and for placing it in working position, such as the tappet rods 22 passing through the table and adjustably. engaging ofiset portions 23 on thecover guided in vertical ways 24 formed at thesides of .thetableand operated by hydraulic rams 25 secured to the table supports or legs 2.

The unit apparatus such as that described, either with orwithout the means for feeding the cleansing liquid on to the advancing .fabric and withdrawing it therethrough, may form one of a series of successive similar units with the fabric passing successively therethrough, but for .most purposes a single unit such asthat illustratedv will efficiently and rapidly effect the thorough cleansing and drying of the fabric. .Ascreen 26 may be placed :across the opening 5 whichforms the mouth of the main liquid abstractor andsucha screen is indicated in-Fig. 2.

Having thus described theinvention, :whatis claimed asnew and desired to-be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A fabric cleansing anddryingapparatus comprising a table having -an'open-ing therethrough, means for-continuously movinga strip -of fabric over the table across the-opening, .a dome cover hav-ing its edge engaging thefabric and surrounding the opening and forming with the table top-and interposed traveling. fabric. an

air-tight joint, means for supplying hot air into the cover, a main liquid abstractor beneath the table with its mouth formed by the said opening, means for maintaining a vacuum in the main abstractor, means extending into the cover for feeding a cleansing liquid on to the advancing fabricbeneath the cover at the front of the opening, an auxiliary liquid abstractor having a narrow inlet slot engaging the lower surface of the fabric beneath the cover and before it reaches the front edge of the opening, and means for .maintaining a vacuum in the auxiliary abstractor acting to withdraw the cleansing liquid.

,2. A fabric cleansing and drying apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which the portion of the table top surrounding the opening and cooperating with the edge of the dome cover is formed with an elastic insert.

3. .A fabric cleansing and drying apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which the portion of the ta l o u ou di h Opening d p ating with the edgeof the dome cover is formed with aninsert of sponge rubber.

4. A fabric cleansing and drying apparatus comprising a table having an opening thereh o h ean f c n n ous m in f r of fabric over the table across the opening, a dome cover having its edge engaging thefabric and surrounding the opening and forming with the table;top and interposed traveling fabric an air-tight joint, the said cover at the front havin its inner surface sloping forward and downward, a conduit adjacentthe top of the sloping surface having a discharge opening facing said surface, means for feeding a cleansing liquid to the conduit to cause theliquid to discharge upon said sloping surface and flow in a thin layer on the advancing fabricLmeanS connected with the cover for supplying hot airthereinto, means connected with the table opening acting to maintain a vacuum beneath the fabric moving thereover, an

auxiliary V%cuum,means having a narrowslot engaging thelowerlsurface of the fabricin the rear ,ofsaidsloping surface, and means for maintaining a vacuum in said auxiliary means acting tov draw; the. cleansing liquid through the fabric.

LESLIE A. RUNTON.

RE ERENCES CI The following-references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,947,106 Plumstead Feb. l3, 1934 1,988,519 :shaw Jan. 22, 1935 2,009,365 Wait July 23,1935 2,080 635 Schramek et al t/lay 18, 1937 2,242,144 -Runton Maris, 1941 2,254,691 ,MacLelland Sept. 2, 1941 

